Manchester United’s Brazilian striker Antony is still heavily criticized for alleged domestic abuse. Last weekend, the player was cut from both the English club and the Brazilian national squad, following his suspension from the former by the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF).
In spite of his tarnished reputation, the sportsman continues to have solid advertising relationships. Several posts showcasing Antony’s work with the sports brand Puma can be seen on Antony’s Instagram account.
The German firm refused to “comment on any ongoing legal proceedings” when asked about them when contacted.
Several people associated with the athlete chose to disregard the case in the weeks after the initial press announcements were published. His performance was exceptional to the point where he kept playing regularly for Manchester United and was selected by coach Fernando Diniz to participate in the South American Qualifiers of the 2026 World Cup match against Bolivia.
The athlete describes the challenges he encountered as a child living on the fringes of the São Paulo Metropolitan Region in a post by Puma dated August 28. The things his parents did to bring him up are something Antony discusses. The athlete breaks down in tears at one point in the film as he discusses his connection to the field where he practiced the dribbles and kicks that would eventually lead to his success in Brazil and Europe.
These posts appeared on both the Puma Brasil and Puma worldwide profiles. Brand conducted another activation with the player to promote its Ultra football boot line on June 30, at the same time as the alleged attacks were already making headlines in Brazil’s press.
Following the September 4th revelation of numerous images, audios, and prints of threatening and insulting texts written by Antony to his now-ex-girlfriend by the portal UOL, the Brazilian team and United itself took their most severe actions regarding Antony.
Indestructible in online spaces
On social media, Antony continues to be “firm and strong” despite the disappointments he’s had with Manchester United and the national team. He actually acquired a few thоusand followers instead of losing them all because of the issue.
On Wednesday, June 6th, while the story of his “recall” from the Brazilian national team was still trending, the striker had slightly more than 11.1 million Instagram followers. More than 11.2 million people have followed Antony as of this Wednesday (13). Approximately 100,000 individuals are in the positive.
Antony went on the оffensive this week, publishing screenshots of what appear to be conversations he had on WhatsApp with a second woman in his Instagram stories. The second lady also accuses him of abuse.
His defense of himself in an interview with SBT’s Fofocalizando last Friday (8) protected him from accusations made by his ex-girlfriend; this fact went viral in the international sports media.
Core Principles
Regarded as a “key component” of the Puma work culture, equity, inclusion, and diversity are among the topics that the firm hopes to highlight in the brand’s values section of the official website.
One of Puma’s core principles, according to the company, is equity. “Any form of harassment or discrimination” would not be tolerated by the company, according to its declaration.